When fuel rods are handled such as when laying the fuel rods into the first receptacle, the condition cannot be avoided that radioactive particles drop from the irradiated fuel rods. The fuel rods are customarily pushed out of the first receptacle through the partition wall and into the terminal storage receptacle. During this displacement of the fuel rods, the disadvantage occurs that components such as seals and the like become contaminated with the radioactive particles dropping from the fuel rods into the first receptacle. The components are exchangeable via remote manipulation and are located at the pass-through opening of the partition wall.